Order on non shifting of patients extended

Legal Correspondent

Shimla, August 19

The High Court today directed the state government to continue with its earlier order whereby it had directed the state not to shift Covid-19 patients from Sirmaur and Solan districts to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) Hospital, Shimla, unless the hospitals at these districts run out of the capacity to attend the Covid- 19 patients and that priority will be given to treat them at those very places.

However, the court extened the order till September 1 but gave liberty to the state to decide the shifting of patients on the basis of severity.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice L Narayana Swamy and Justice Anoop Chitkara passed the order on a petition filed by Inderjit Singh, challenging the order dated July 16, 2020 of the government designating the DDU Zonal Hospital, Shimla, as a dedicated Covid care hospital for the districts of Solan and Sirmaur also, besides the dedicated Covid hospital for the districts of Shimla and Kinnaur.

RD Dhiman, Additional Chief Secretary (Health), informed the court about the stand of the government in this regard. However, BC Negi, senior counsel representing the petitioner, contended that the DDU hospital itself lacked basic infrastructure and is not fully equipped to handle the situation. In such a situation, it would be detrimental to transfer patients to the DDU. The court listed the matter for hearing on September 1.

What it said

The HC had directed the state not to shift patients from Sirmaur and Solan to DDU Hospital, Shimla